Creating Promo Codes and Discounts

Promo codes drive new customers in and repeat orders back. Used well, they lift sales without eating margin. Used poorly, they train customers to wait for the next coupon.

Promo code basics

A promo code is a short string a customer types at checkout. When valid, the order total drops.

OrderFriendly supports:

• Percent off — 15% off the whole order
• Dollar off — $5 off
• Free item — free side of fries with any burger
• Free delivery — waives the delivery fee
• Buy X get Y — buy two coffees, get a pastry free

Creating a code

1. Open Promotions → Promo Codes.
2. Click + New Code.
3. Fill in:
4. Code — short, memorable: WELCOME10, LUNCHRUSH, COMEBACK
5. Discount type — percent, dollar, free item, free delivery, BOGO
6. Amount or item — 15, 5.00, "Side of Fries", and so on
7. Minimum order — optional, e.g. only on orders over $25
8. Valid from / to — start and end date
9. Use limit per customer — usually 1
10. Total use limit — optional cap (first 500 customers only)
11. Save.

The code is live the moment you save (if today is between the start and end dates).

Where customers enter the code

At checkout, under the order summary, there is an Add Promo Code field. Customers type, click Apply, and the discount appears.

Sharing the code

• Email blast — open Promotions → Email Customers, paste the code into the message.
• Instagram / Facebook post — share a graphic with the code in big text.
• In-bag flyer — print and tuck into a pickup bag: "Use BACK15 for 15% off your next order."

Targeted promo codes

You can restrict a code to:

• New customers only — first order at your shop.
• Returning customers — has ordered before.
• Customers who have not ordered in 30+ days — winback campaigns.

Open the code, click Audience, and pick.

Limit by service type

A code can be delivery only or pickup only.

If margins are tighter on delivery and you want to push pickup, run "PICKUP10 — 10% off any pickup order, this week only."

Buy X get Y

For "buy two coffees, get a free pastry":

1. Discount type: Buy X get Y.
2. Buy: Coffee, quantity 2.
3. Get: Pastry, quantity 1, free.
4. Save.

The customer must add both to cart for the discount to apply.

Stacking codes

By default, only one code applies per order. If you want to stack:

1. Open the code, toggle Stackable on.
2. Pick which other codes it stacks with.

Be careful. Stacking turns a 15% off code plus a free delivery code into a much bigger discount than you expected.

Automatic discounts (no code)

For "everything 10% off this weekend":

1. Open Promotions → Automatic Discounts.
2. Set the rule: percent off, days/times applied, items included.

No code, no typing. The discount shows on every qualifying order.

Loyalty: a free item after N orders

Open Promotions → Loyalty. Set "after 10 orders, customer gets a free drink." Customers earn automatically and see their progress on the ordering page.

Tracking what works

Open Reports → Promotions. For each code you see:

• Times used
• Total discount given
• Revenue from orders using the code
• New vs returning customers

A code with 200 uses and $30 average ticket beats a code with 1000 uses and $12 average ticket. Watch margin, not redemptions.

Common mistakes

• Codes that never expire. Set an end date. Always.
• Forgetting the minimum order. A 25% off code on a $3 coffee is no profit.
• Too many codes at once. Customers feel manipulated. One or two active codes is plenty.
• Discount too low to act on. 5% off rarely moves the needle. 15% to 25% is the conversion sweet spot for new customers.